back to main page

When I have decided to design a page about After Crying's past I have fount that I have only few chance to create a better page than the one on the Homepage of Periferic Records. Regarding to this, some pieces of the following parts are the exact copies of Periferic Record's official After Crying columns.



After Crying is one of the most distinguished representatives of the second flowering progressive music in Hungary. Colourful, high-tech and intelligent music for everyone who loves quality. The sound is a Hungarian synthesis of contemporary classical chamber and progressive music, influenced and inspired by King Crimson and Emerson Lake & Palmer.

After Crying was formed in autumn 1986. Founder members: Vedres Csaba - piano, Pejtsik Péter - cello, Egervári Gábor - flute. In this trio they played acoustic and instrumental chamber music for two years. During this period improvisation was the essential part of their programs. Since 1988 they have been singing songs besides playing of the common improvisations and chamber compositions too. From the beginning Egervári Gábor and Görgényi Tamás has been writing the lyrics on a high literary level in English and Hungarian as well.

In 1989 this early trio has released their first demo like album, titled "OPUS 1". It has been published on cassette only, and in a low size of edition. The tracks has been recorded among February 1988 and January 1989 at several theaters and concert rooms (Szkéné Theater, the Porto, the Music Academy). The trio has been joined by guest musicians for this record. In the end of the same year they released their second demo like album, titled "1989". The case is similar to the previous, it has been published on cassette only, and in a low size of edition. This release is a compilation of previously recorded and archive recordings. All of these tracks has been written by Vedres Csaba with the co-operation of Pejtsik Péter, and has been recorded with the appearence of many guest musicians again. These recordings has benn available on their concerts only.

Around Vedres Csaba and Pejtsik Péter the other musicians had changed quiet often, but till autumn 1993 After Crying had basically four members, and from time to time has been completed by guest musicians. They gave concerts not only in Hungary but Spain, Portugal, England and Canada with a great success.


Vedres Csaba

Their first - this time widely distributed - album was released in 1990. "OVERGROUND MUSIC" is of chamber compositions and songs in English. The live premiere of this record in front of 1500 viewers had a great success. After Crying invited guest musicians as they did in their next albums. This release has been published by Hungaropop Safari Club for the first time, and has been reprinted and re-published by Stereo Shop in 1993.

In 1992 they made a show where they played renaissance, baroque and Beatles songs with their own orchestration. At the same spring they have recorded and released their second album, "MEGALÁZOTTAK ÉS MEGSZOMORÍTOTTAKTHE INSULTED AND INJURED" (the title of the album refers to the title of a Russian movie). On this record After Crying used not only acoustic instruments but synthesisers and drums by new members: Gacs László - drums, Winkler Balázs - synthesizer and trumpet and Pejtsik Péter from that time has started to play on bass too. This music has its own spirit, it lives and hurts. Listening to the music of this orchestra we feel some kind of sadness rather than gaiety in our heart. Their audience often struggle against their tears while listening to After Crying On the concerts they play not only their own compositions but King Crimson songs on a high artistic level.


Pejtsik Péter

In 1993 Torma Ferenc - guitar, joined the group, they together created the third album: "FÖLD ÉS ÉGEARTH AND SKY", in 1994. This record was a kind of conclusion of the previous period, since Vedres Csaba quitted the group when recordings had been accomplished. Winkler Balázs has replaced his role. The new program includes acoustic chamber music pieces and monumental, progressive rock and symphonic compositions.

Their fourth album "DE PROFUNDIS" can be described only by superlatives. 74 minutes, shivering with a lot of new impressive effects, sounds and ideas beside all of the former features and special qualities of After Crying We know the expression "De Profundis" from the Bible: "I cry to you from the deepness, my Lord". The meaning of it is deep, it is about humanity, mortality and forgiveness of our sins. We feel like shivering while listening to Jonah's Prayer recited by Latinovits Zoltán (Latinovits Zoltán was a brilliant and tragic fated, legendary actor in Hungary in the sixties and early seventies.). No music was born in Hungary during the last 25 years that could be even compared to this.


Gacs László

The next album "ELSŐ ÉVTIZEDFIRST DECADE" is a present for A.C.'s 10th birthday. This double CD of 143 minutes contains more than 100 minutes previously unreleased records of the ten years activities beside a few remastered tracks from their former four albums. On Disk Two they present A.C. live on CD the very first time, including the immortal hit of King Crimson from the end of the sixties: 21st Century Schizoid Man performed by After Crying.

Their following album, "6", differs from the previous ones: they put classical elements into the world of today's modern music, not vica versa like before. More than 74 minutes of acoustic chamber music (cello, trumpet, piano and guitar) but it sounds like a mixture of rock or African rhythms with Gregorian chants. They arrange a Hungarian folk song, but in their adaptation it sounds more like an Anglo-Saxon hymn. Very interesting harmony, very interesting album. They want to say some sort of farewell to the 20th century reflecting as much colour of it as possible, showing its bright, amazing, tragic and often evil faces at the same time. So After Crying goes on their own way toward the next thousand years.


Winkler Balázs

Their seventh album has been released in December, 1998. It is the first part of a new After Crying compilation series and titled "ALMOST PURE INSTRUMENTAL". The album contains four new songs, and ten more previously published, but remastered recordings. Referring to the title all of them are instrumental, except the last one what is assigned as a quasi introduction of the next volume of the compilation series. The characteristics of all their new songs are more classical like than previously. It seems that the boys has decided to overlap Beethoven and Bach at once. On the other hand these songs does not seems to be so elemental for the fist listening, they are rather suggesting a relaxed and peaceful environment. Quite similar to what has happened with the King Crimson, first came the "noise to the silence" trend than the "silence to the noise" trend. Although it might be that this relaxed sound of After Crying is temporary only, but afterall: I may not state any kind if stylistic change - any small it is - based on only four songs.

Recently their popularity has been growing in homeland as well as abroad all over the world. The audience together with the international critics have the best opinion about the most popular progressive group in Hungary. The music of After Crying is not an only precisely composed masterpiece but it touches our soul deep inside. Every sound springs up from their heart, their commitment and devotion toward music and art. One main component of their irresistible power is based on the fact that they consistently have been going the same way for actually more than sixteen years.

The members of this group are extremely talented, they can work together very well and very hard and the result: After Crying has a respect among the world's greatest progressive groups. There are very few other Hungarian groups who can be proud to say the same. It is not their fault if some people do not understand them or do not want to understand them. For those who pay attention will get it and come to like this kind of music. It is impossible to be unconcerned to them or insensible of their work.


top of this page
back to main page